Five tourists, including a professor and her daughter, have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives.

Italy’s foreign ministry said the group had been exploring underwater ⁠caves in the Vaavu Atoll at a depth ⁠of around 50 metres (165ft) on Thursday.

It gave no further details about the victims’ identities or the cause of the accident, but said all five were Italian nationals and an investigation was under way.

The University of Genoa named four of the victims as professor of ecology Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, who was a student, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, and marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri.

In a statement posted on its website, the university said: “The sympathy of the entire university community goes out to the families, colleagues and students who shared their human and professional journey.”

Image:The Vaavu Atoll. File pic: Sabine Gerold/Amazing Aerial/ZUMA Wire/Shutterstock

The fifth victim was named in Italian media reports as boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.

Ms Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, told Italian outlet La Repubblica that his wife was an “expert” and had done 5,000 dives. “She knows what to do even in times of difficulty,” he added.

Mr Sommacal said the same goes for Mr Benedetti, who he described as “meticulous” and said: “He checked everything: the tanks, the weather conditions. He’s not a fool.”

He said he hopes his wife and daughter’s bodies are found for his and his son Matteo’s sake, but also because “Monica usually had a GoPro when she went diving”.

“I don’t know if she had one the other day. If they find it, maybe from there we can understand what happened,” he said.

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Ms Montefalcone was an award-winning marine biologist, well known for her TV appearances and commitment to conservation projects, and was previously interviewed on Sky TG24.

“I have dedicated my entire life to discovering and studying the wonders that live beneath the surface of our seas,” she told a local TV station, according to Sky TG24, after receiving the 2022 Atlantide Prize for her contribution to the understanding of marine ecosystems and her commitment to marine conservation.

The divers were reported missing at around 1.45pm by the crew of a diving vessel they were travelling on, when the group failed to resurface.

Conditions were described as unfavourable at the time, with a yellow weather alert in effect.

A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched by the Maldivian Coast Guard and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF). Boats, aircraft and dive teams were deployed to the area.

“A body has been found among the five divers who dived in Vaavu Atoll,” the MNDF said in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA.

“The body was found inside a cave. The other four divers are believed to be inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of approximately 60m.”

Search teams were preparing for a second dive on Friday to locate the remaining four divers.

Italy’s foreign ministry added that the Italian ⁠embassy in Sri Lanka was ⁠working to contact the ​victims’ families and provide ​consular assistance.